UFC 172 ‘Jones vs. Teixeira’ Preview

Jones vs. Teixeira

Jon
Jones has successfully defended his title six times. | Photo: Dave
Mandel/Sherdog.com

If
Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight titleholder
Jon
Jones does as he is expected to do and dispatches Glover
Teixeira in the UFC
172 headliner on Saturday at the Baltimore Arena in Baltimore,
it will set up what could be the year’s biggest rematch. Alexander
Gustafsson, who gave Jones the most difficult test of his
professional career in September, has already done his part,
stopping Jimi Manuwa
in the second round at UFC Fight Night 38 in March. Jones’ task is
no walk in the park. Teixeira has won 20 straight fights -- many in
devastating fashion -- and will not be in awe of the reigning light
heavyweight king.

Gustafsson is not the only 205-pound talent who has a vested
interest in Jones-Teixeira. With a win over the returning Anthony
Johnson in the co-main event, Phil Davis
could insert himself right into the thick of the light heavyweight
title discussion.

Here is a closer look at UFC 172 “Jones vs. Teixeira,” with
analysis and picks:

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship

The Matchup: While many hoped Jones would face an
immediate rematch with Gustafsson following their classic battle at
UFC 165, Teixeira is a worthy title contender. The 34-year-old
Brazilian’s 20-fight winning streak dates back to May 2006, and in
his five Octagon appearances, he has rarely been tested. Whether
that makes him a better candidate than Gustafsson to defeat the
sport’s current pound-for-pound king is another matter
entirely.

Before UFC 165, Jones was cruising through his title reign. While
he injured his elbow defending an armbar against Vitor
Belfort and gruesomely dislocated his toe against Chael
Sonnen, the outcome of his fights was rarely in doubt. That
changed drastically against Gustafsson, as “Bones” needed a strong
effort in the championship rounds to clinch victory against the
talented Swede. Before that fight, Jones never wore much damage in
victory. Perhaps the greatest question then is how will going
through such a brutal fight affect the champion psychologically?
Now that the aura of invincibility is gone, Will Jones be
more vulnerable?

The guess here is no, at least as it relates to Teixeira. The
former Shooto
champion has proven himself to be a lethal mix of punching power
and Brazilian jiu-jitsu during his promotional tenure, but it is
highly unlikely that he will be able to replicate the things
Gustafsson did to give Jones trouble. For one, Gustafsson utilized
very skilled boxing combinations, setups, movement and angles to
score points against Jones. Teixeira is far more straightforward in
his approach: He usually walks down his opponents, waits for them
to throw a strike and then unloads with power shots. The overhand
right to left hook is a favorite combination of his, and while he
does possess menacing power, Teixeira also has a knack for
maintaining composure in a firefight. Take his most recent outing
against Ryan Bader
for example. The
Power MMA Team product briefly dropped the Brazilian with a
short punch and then attacked with uppercuts and overhand rights
against the fence. Teixeira calmly defended the assault and fired
back with a two-punch combination of his own that dropped Bader and
set up the finish.

Texeira is going to have a much more difficult time dictating the
action against Jones, who will have an 8.5-inch reach advantage.
Expect the
Jackson-Wink MMA export to respect his foe’s knockout ability,
especially early, by wearing down his man with kicks from range.
Kicks to Teixeira’s lead knee or leg, as well as the body, will
gradually make it more difficult to throw heavy strikes.

After Jones wears down Teixeira from the outside, takedown
opportunities from the clinch will be more readily available. While
Teixeira is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, most of his best work
so far has been done from top position. He did a good job defending
the wrestling of Bader, a former NCAA All-American, but Jones is
far more diverse offensively, making his takedown attempts far less
predictable. We have not really seen Teixeira on his back, but it
is obviously not where you want to be against Jones, who lands
nasty elbows and uses his long limbs to creatively set up
submissions.

To avoid getting mauled in the clinch and on the ground, Teixeira
is going to have to be more diverse. That means consistently using
a jab and throwing kicks to the legs, head and body, in addition to
his big hooks and uppercuts. Even then, Jones is so creative and
shows so many different looks, including switching stances,
postures and techniques, that it is going to be difficult for
Teixeira to ever find a rhythm.

The Pick: Jones will give Teixeira his necessary
respect, but he will gradually work from the outside in to secure a
finish in the third or fourth round.